Pilgrimage principles for everyday life
The daffodils I was admiring back in March are long gone, but the seeds planted in April are starting to show signs of life. And we have a new book for May, published as part of our Living Faith ministry to resource people's spiritual journeys; a book which offers the benefits of pilgrimage to those who are unable to travel - which at the moment is all of us!
Sally Welch writes, 'When I told my family I was writing a book about contentment, they looked at me askance and the silent question appeared in their eyes: "What authority do you have to write this?" I answered them out loud: "I am writing this book because I too seek contentment, and I want to share my findings with others as I share my journey with them." '
Inspired by John Bunyan's 17th-century classic The Pilgrim's Progress, Sally shares what she has learned through her many experiences of pilgrimage journeys, distilling the wisdom into principles we all can apply. The book is divided into 52 sections of a journey, beginning with the preparations necessary before setting out, then exploring the obstacles which might be put in our path and sharing ways in which the journey can be made easier and more productive. At the end of each reflection, there is a suggestion for an activity or a prayer.
Sally is also the editor of our New Daylight Bible reading notes, and her recent notes on Ezekiel, coming at the start of lockdown, touched and astonished many readers by their relevance to the current situation, despite being written many months ago. For those of us who have not previously established a pattern of regular prayer and reflection, perhaps now may be the time to try daily notes as we review and adjust so many of our familiar routines?
Being content in all circumstances is not easy, especially now. Let's make the most of the wisdom of fellow travellers like Sally to help us through this time.
As BRF's Head of Content Creation, Olivia is into all things editorial, design, production, web and media. To find out what this looks like day to day, follow her on @OliviaWBRF.